This Easy-To-Make Mughlai Dessert Will Satiate Your Sweet Cravings

(This story was first published on 7 November 2015 and is being republished from The Quint’s archives on the occasion of Diwali 2022.)

Shahi, Mughal, Royal, are synonymous with our royal morsel, more popularly known as Shahi Tukra. It is originally a Mughlai dessert from the cuisine of the nawabs of Pakistan. Traditionally, it is made using a lot of ghee, but here’s our healthy take on it.

Ingredients

For sugar syrup:

* ½ cup sugar

* ¼ cup water

For pan frying bread:

* 5 to 6 slices of bread (white/brown/whole wheat or milk bread)

* 2 tbsp ghee/clarified butter (1 tbsp for frying each batch of bread, add more if required)

For garnish:

* A few strands of saffron (optional)

* 10 to 12 pistachios, sliced

METHOD

Toasting slices:

1. Slice the crusts of the bread. You can cut them into squares, rectangles or triangles.

2. Add some ghee on both sides of the slices while they toast.

3. Place the bread slices and on a low to medium heat, toast them.

4. When one side is browned, flip and toast the other side.

5. Flip once or twice more to get an even golden colour and browning.

6. Keep all the toasted slices aside.

Preparing sugar syrup:

1. Mix sugar and water in a pan. You can start the sugar syrup simultaneously with the toasting of the bread.

2. Cook the sugar solution on simmer until you get a one-thread consistency in the sugar syrup.

Assembling:

1. Now pour the sugar syrup on top of the bread slices.

2. Arrange the slices neatly in a serving tray or plate.

3. Garnish with sliced pistachios.

4. Serve nawabi shahi tukra.

Your delicious Diwali dessert is ready.